Coffee exports up marginally

Indian coffee exports in the first-half, January to June of 2007, is up 7.39 per cent at 123,793 tonnes from the previous year's H1 (2006) of 115,267 lakh tonnes.

According to Coffee Board as on June 29, Arabica Parchment made up 20,585 tonnes (last year 36,838 tonnes), Arabica Cherry 7,441 tonnes (7,307 tonnes), Robusta Parchment 13,398 tonnes (12,046 tonnes), Robusta Cherry 55,281 tonnes (50,730 tonnes) and instant coffee 27,088 tonnes (8,346 tonnes).

Provisional re-exports from the country stood at 6,616 tonnes during H1 of 2007 against 15,703 tonnes registered during the same period last year.

According to International Coffee Organisation (ICO), global coffee exports were 8.90 million bags during May-end of 2007, an increase of over 4.76 per cent recorded during May last year.

Exports during the first eight months of the coffee year 2006-07 (October, 2006 to May, 2007) were up by just under 16.5 per cent from the same period last year, resulting in 65.87 million bags.

Arabica exports during the eight-month period went up by 10 per cent to 41.97 million bags, whereas Robusta exports increased by over 28 per cent to 23.90 million bags.

Néstor Osorio, executive director, ICO, in his coffee report, said the behaviour of the coffee market during May 2007 was characterised by a significant rise in the Robusta prices, which recorded their highest levels in over nine years.

The monthly average of the daily indicator price for Robustas during May was 83.91 US cents per pound, entailing a reduction of over 16 per cent in the differential with other mild Arabicas. The rise in the Robusta prices are attributable mainly to problems relating to its supply in the market.